Posts Categorized: Saltchuk
TOTE Maritime Prepares for Largest Cargo Week since Maria
November 7, 2017
Largest vessels currently in the trade, partnership with Pasha, and addition of barges combined with best-in-class telematics mean more than 3000 containers will arrive and be distributed this week
Jacksonville, FL – Since Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 19th, TOTE Maritime and its employees have been working around the clock to get relief and commercial goods to the people of Puerto Rico. Certainly, the largest effort is underway in San Juan to ensure the smooth and efficient movement of containers off the ships, onto the terminal and into the communities. However, significant work is also being done on the mainland to maximize the amount of cargo available on the island now that roads and communities are more accessible.
This week in San Juan, TOTE Maritime will receive more than 3000 containers of relief and commercial goods for the island. These containers will arrive in San Juan on one five (5) different assets that TOTE Maritime is utilizing to support the island. This represents more than a 43 percent increase in TOTE’s Maritime’s weekly vessel capacity.
The increase in cargo delivery is a result of the addition of two barges to the TOTE Maritime fleet as well as a partnership between TOTE Maritime, Pasha Hawaii and Crowley Maritime – all Jones Act carriers – to increase goods being delivered to the island.
“TOTE Maritime has been working with a variety of partners to prepare for this increase in capacity” commented Tim Nolan. “For the first few weeks after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico would not have been able to handle more cargo than what we typically deliver to the island. Now that roads are more accessible and relief / rebuilding operations are in full swing we know the island is ready for this increase in goods.”
TOTE Maritime’s schedule for the week is as follows:
- November 6: Pasha’s Horizon Spirit departed Jacksonville for San Juan
- November 7: Columbia Boston (barge) arrived San Juan with 375 containers
- November 8: Isla Bella arrived in San Juan with 1062 containers
- November 10: Charlotte Bridge (barge) scheduled to depart Jacksonville
- November 11: Perla del Caribe scheduled to arrive in San Juan with 1048 containers
Glenn Hong celebrates 25 years at Young Brothers with retirement and transition to parent company, leading Saltchuk’s Hawaii business initiatives
October 12, 2017
Hong will lead Saltchuk’s Hawaii initiatives beginning January 1, 2018.
Honolulu – Young Brothers, Ltd has announced Glenn Hong will retire at the end of the year as company president to undertake a new leadership role with parent company Saltchuk, focusing on Hawaii business initiatives effective January 1, 2018.
“I’ve deeply valued the opportunity to serve Hawaii by maintaining and even enhancing Young Brothers’ 117+-year legacy as the leading shipping company connecting our island state,” said Hong. “I look forward to pursuing a new role with Saltchuk and helping to support its family of companies in the islands.”
Hong began at Young Brothers in 1991 as vice president of Finance and Government Affairs, coming from Hawaiian Electric Industries. In 1992, he assumed the presidency and immediately set to work to infuse the organization with a customer-driven mindset.
Hong joined the Saltchuk organization in 1999, when the company acquired Young Brothers and Hawaiian Tug & Barge from Hawaiian Electric Industries. From the beginning, Saltchuk sought to create a family of companies that were part of the fabric of the community. In the next decade, Hawaii Petroleum, Minit Stop and Ohana Fuels, as well as Aloha Air Cargo were added to the family.
Under Hong’s leadership, Young Brothers has undergone a fleet modernization initiative to meet neighbor island cargo needs into the next generation. By the end of 2018, Young Brothers will have made capital investment of over $180 million in new vessels and shore-side equipment. These investments include four new large 11,700-ton capacity barges as well as a 5,600-ton multi-deck roll-on/roll-off barge for vehicle transportation that is currently in service. In addition, in 2016, Young Brothers commenced construction of four new 6,000 HP American-built tugs that are slated to begin service in the middle of 2018. These investments will enhance operational efficiency for the company and improve reliability for Hawaii customers.
Having positioned Young Brothers for the future, Hong will shift his focus to represent Saltchuk’s Hawaii operations.
“Glenn is not only well-regarded within our organization, he is a valued and respected member of the Hawaii business community. We are grateful for his contributions at Young Brothers and are looking forward to his new role at Saltchuk,” said Saltchuk President Tim Engle.
Young Brothers has not yet named a successor for Hong. Saltchuk’s marine services business, Foss Maritime, is expected to make an announcement in the coming months.
Foss Maritime President, John Parrott, recognized Hong’s service and accomplishments, “We take this moment to honor Glenn – for his dedication, his deep employee, community and industry relationships, and for his keen commitment to cargo services within the most water-borne dependent state in the nation. He has been steadfast in his work with the tenets of balance and justice for customers, employees and investors.”
In his new role Hong will remain based in Honolulu and will continue his decades-long commitment to serving the people of Hawaii.
Foss Maritime’s Third Arctic Class Ocean Tug is Nearly Complete
February 17, 2017
Dynamic videos show construction of the Nicole Foss
The tug is ice class D0, meaning the hulls are designed specifically for polar waters and are reinforced to maneuver in ice. Like her sister Arctic Class tugs, it complies with the requirements in the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Vessels Intended to Operate in Polar Waters, including ABS A1 standards, SOLAS and Green Passport.
Employees honor fallen veterans at four Western Washington cemeteries, Arlington
December 20, 2016
Volunteers representing Interstate, Carlile, TOTE Maritime, Foss, and Saltchuk corporate home marked National Wreaths Across America Day with local tributes
By Hilary Reeves
Wreaths being unloaded at Evergreen Washelli Cemetery in Seattle
Forty employee volunteers gathered in four Western Washington cemeteries Saturday to honor fallen veterans by placing holiday wreaths on their graves. The tribute – one of 1,100 coordinated wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, across the country, at sea, and abroad – marked National Wreaths Across America Day for employees at Interstate Distributor, Carlile, TOTE Maritime, Foss Maritime, and Saltchuk corporate home.
Families and community members came to help lay wreaths at Old Soldiers Cemetery in Orting
But it was the 1,265 wreaths laid at the Washington Soldiers Home Cemetery in Orting, a small town northeast of the base, that truly embodied the spirit of Wreaths Across America to Scott Manthey, who spearheaded this year’s efforts.
“It’s sort of a forgotten cemetery, and we don’t want anyone forgotten,” said Manthey, Interstate’s Vice President of Safety and Compliance. “I drive by it every day. There’s a quote that says a solider dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken. When we place the wreaths, we say their names aloud.”
The origins of Wreaths Across America date back to 1992. That December, Maine business owner Morris Worcester of Worcester Wreath Co. found himself with a surplus of wreaths. Remembering the trip he took to Arlington cemetery as a boy, he contacted Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, who alongside a legion of Maine volunteers helped coordinate the delivery of Worcester’s extra wreaths to graves in one of the older, overlooked sections of the cemetery.
In 2005, a photo of wreath-laden grave sites covered in snow received national press. Thousands of requests poured in from companies and individuals and companies wanting to emulate Morris’s tribute.
Interstate trucks decorated for Wreaths Across America promote and raise awareness of the event year round
Last year, 168 transportation and logistics companies volunteered to deliver more than 300 loads of wreaths, including Interstate. Manthey has been involved since 2009.
“It’s a big deal for us,” he said. “My first exposure to the event was at a Truckload Carriers Association conference years ago. Baylor Trucking did a presentation; it was very moving. From that point on, I volunteered my time.”
Manthey later approached Interstate and was given the green light to utilize the company’s resources to help haul wreaths from Maine to Virginia and back to Western Washington.
“For us, being right outside JBLM and having so many veterans here, it’s a very special event.”
Josh Roddenberry who served two tours in Afghanistan was selected as one of the two Interstate drivers to make the trip to Maine this year
Manthey said it’s an honor to be selected to drive the special, decorated trucks that transport wreaths the from Maine. Once Interstate was selected to send drivers, it developed an in-house selection process that gives preference to veterans. Two Interstate drivers are selected each year. This year’s drivers were David McFadden, a Navy veteran who served aboard the U.S.S. Virginia, transported wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery; and Josh Roddenberry, who served more than eight years including two tours in Afghanistan as an Infantry Paratrooper in the U.S. Army, brought them home to Western Washington.
“The true heroes are the ones who served our nation, and even gave their lives for us without asking for fame or fortune,” McFadden said.
Roddenberry added that representing Interstate’s military veterans and the company itself was paramount.
For Manthey, the continued support of Interstate and Saltchuk lends to the feeling of community.
David McFadden with the team that helped unload wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC
“When I first asked (Interstate CEO Marc Rogers) about participating, he could have said ‘no,’ but he didn’t. And Saltchuk’s support is so important. When you talk about a good place to work and giving back to the community – again, you think about Saltchuk allowing us to do this, and being an active participant.”
Manthey said special thanks was in order for everyone who participated in the local event.
Meanwhile, the long drive to Maine gave McFadden plenty of time to reflect on the importance of the day, and the sacrifices made by veterans around the world.
“The way I see it is this: my name is David Warren McFadden. They don’t know me, but they love me enough to die for me. We should all be eternally grateful for and never forget their names.”
Click here to see photos from the events
74 Foss Maritime Vessels Honored for Environmental Excellence
November 9, 2016
Thirty-seven Vessels Recognized for 10+ Years of Incident-Free Operation
WASHINGTON, DC – With a combined 843 years without an incident, 74 Foss Maritime and subsidiary companies’ tugs and tank barges have been recognized by a major maritime organization for their environmental records.
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| Wedell Foss assisting the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin |
The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) announced the 2016 Environmental Achievement Awards honoring the Seattle-based company’s work on Nov.2, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Foss and its sister companies have 37 vessels with 10 or more years without an environmental incident, with 11 of those vessels achieving 20+ years of environmental excellence. The Wedell Foss and the Stacey Foss are just two of the Foss Maritime vessels that have been free of environmental mishaps for more than 20 years.
“We are truly honored by this award, since it underscores our dedication to the highest safety standards and care for the environment,” said John Parrott, Foss CEO. “These values are an important part of our corporate culture and also what our customers demand.”
The awards are open to all owners and operators of vessels that operate on oceans or inland waterways.
“Foss’ commitment to safeguarding the environmental is something that we take great pride in,” said Susan Hayman, Vice President of HSQE and External Affairs at Foss. “We engineer and build our state-of-the-art vessels to exceed environmental and safety requirements. It’s this commitment that helps make Foss an industry leader.”
“These awards celebrate the dedication to environmental excellence of our seafarers and the company personnel shore-side who operate our vessels to the highest standards,” said Kathy J. Metcalf, president of CSA, praising the award recipients for their commitment to serving as stewards of the environment.
A list of the vessels receiving the 2016 Environmental Achievement Award is posted on CSA’s website www.knowships.org. Click on “News & Events,” then “Press Releases.”